Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Dare to DIY - The Look of Mercury Glass



My big DIY project of the past several weeks has been remodeling my embarrassingly out-of-date guest bathroom.  From the brass-accented fixtures to the honey oak cabinetry to the stained glass pendant lights that look like they belong hanging over a booth at Applebees...


Yowza.

I've put a lot of work into giving this room a bright, clean, contemporary look, but on that you'll have to take my word for the time being and look for the Big Reveal in a future post.

Today let's talk about small things...



These kinds of thing to be exact.


What's the point of having a fabulous bathroom if it's junked up with little tools and tidbits and tchatchkes everywhere?




Part of my inspiration for this little DIY organization solution came from these small lidded glass canisters sold at Crate and Barrel.  Luckily, I was able to collect up a group of similar containers at garage sales for far less than the $16.95 to $29.95 it costs for each of these beauties, nice as they are.



However, with my chosen palette of antique white, cream and pewter gray, I was afraid clear glass might look a bit... mmm, brittle.


Since I have been dying to try a faux mercury glass project using silver Krylon looking-glass spray paint, I decided this was the time. 


Besides my glass containers and the Krylon paint, I needed a few simple supplies
  • newspaper
  • cellophane cling wrap
  • rubber bands
  • paper towels
  • my homemade glass cleaner (Find the recipe here.)

Here's how you do it:  First stretch the cling wrap over the mouth of your glass container and smooth it down to cover the entire outside.  




Next use a sharp blade to slit a cross into the film over the mouth of the container, peel it back, and secure it with a rubber band.  At this point, only the inside of the container will be exposed to the paint.



In a well-ventilated space, use the newspaper to cover your work area.  Lightly spritz a small amount of glass cleaner lightly into one container, followed by a light spray of the Krylon looking glass paint.  Easy does it.  (I guess I've made my point -- you understand you want to have a light touch here, right?  Okay I thought so.)

Swirl the paint around the container to create a mottled, bubbly appearance.  Finally, turn it over onto the newspaper to drip dry.  Repeat this process with the rest of your containers and their lids.



After the paint has dried for at least two hours, very gently blot inside with a paper towel to remove any remaining liquid residue.



Your glass pieces should look something like this.



And your bathroom should look a lot neater with all those little, necessary objects rounded up and contained.  Do try this at home!



44 comments:

  1. I had no clue there was something like this. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks for coming by. I really liked your box project this week, too!

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  2. Wow! That's such a neat look. I never would have guessed you did that yourself.

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    1. Well, thanks! Even I am surprised at how nicely they turned out!

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  3. That looks so neat! What a great addition to your bathroom :) Thanks for sharing with the Wednesday Showcase! I can't wait to see how your bathroom transforms.

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    1. Thank you for hosting! I hope I'll be posting the finished bathroom soon, but I still need to paint the vanity and figure out what to do with a set of brassy shower doors. I wish that was as easy as my little mercury glass project!

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  4. What a fun project...I love the look of Mercury Glass....but not the price...OUCH! I will have to try this very soon....Thank you so much for linking up at Party in Your PJs!

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    1. Thanks for hosting! It was a fun project. And SO easy.

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  5. That looks really nice. A very original look for the bathroom. Really takes it up a notch.

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    1. Yes, it worked out really well. And now I want to try it on something else.

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  6. love the look did one doing the glue and food coloring will give this one a try so cool thanks for sharing

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    1. I've never heard of that technique, but it sounds interesting. And it gives me an idea.....

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  7. This is an excellent tutorial. I haven't done the mercury glass yet but I'm wanting to do some. I'm visiting from Hope in Every Season party. Please come and visit our party What to do Weekends. I love the intro to your blog - the grandmothers were the "wise ones". Now, it's the internet and google. Ah, well, I have to admit I like the internet, too, but still rely on my Mom for wise words. Anyway, I enjoyed visiting today. Best wishes, Linda @Crafts a la Mode

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  8. I love mercury glass and that actually looks really good - nice to see a DIY that looks so classy!

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  9. I love the mercury glass look. Yours turned out really nice, I've been waiting to try this. Thanks for sharing your how to! Pinning!

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    1. I don't know what took me so long to try it. It was fun! I hope you give it a go.

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  10. I really love mercury glass items... Great transformation! Thank you for sharing :)

    http://artdecorationcrafting.blogspot.gr/

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  11. Amazing! This looks so good! Pinned and tweeted. Thank you for being a part of our party! I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm. We love partying with you! Lou Lou Girls

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  12. That's great! Such an easy way to get the mercury glass look! Thanks for sharing at Share It!

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    1. So easy! I'm working on a few new ideas for this technique. I'm hooked.

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  13. Nice job! Love how these turned out. Great tip on sealing the outside with cling wrap! I probably would have rigged some crazy contraption with a whole lot of tape, and wasted a bunch of my time.

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  14. What a great project! I love the look. Thanks for sharing at My Flagstaff Home!

    Jennifer

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  15. AWESOME looking!! Now I want to make some. I love the look. Pinned to crafts and shared on social media. So glad you are with us each week!! You are FABULOSA. Linda @Crafts a la mode

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  16. Congratulations! This post will be featured this week at My Flagstaff Home!

    Jennifer

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  17. It looks wonderful! I've tried to do it twice with really bad results. I think I'll try your method, love the look!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Hugs,

    Pili

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    1. Good luck! It was so easy, I know it'll be great for you.

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  18. I love this effect! Very pretty. I can't wait to try it. You have some of the best DIY ideas. You're going to have me breaking out of my craft comfort zone in no time! Thanks for linking up with the Sunshine Life Link Up!

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    1. Boom! That's the sound of Mary demolishing that comfort zone! :)

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  19. Your faux mercury glass jar looks awesome. Pinning the tutorial for future reference.

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  20. That is such a great project. Your jars look lovely.

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  21. Oh I love that look and you are so clever! Thanks for sharing with us at #WednesdaysWisdom.

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  22. Your mercury glass containers turned out so great! Loved seeing what supply you tried, and also love that you came out with a fabulous storage product in the end! <3

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    1. Thank you, and also thanks for hosting the link party. I hope there's another one in the works some time soon!

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